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Armenian Fish Breeders Dissatisfied With Government-Designed Concept

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  • Armenian Fish Breeders Dissatisfied With Government-Designed Concept

    ARMENIAN FISH BREEDERS DISSATISFIED WITH GOVERNMENT-DESIGNED CONCEPT TO DEVELOP FISH BREEDING

    /ARKA/
    April 21, 2010
    YEREVAN

    YEREVAN, April 21. /ARKA/. Arkady Gevorkian, chairman of the
    Association of Armenian Fish Breeders, said today his colleagues
    were dissatisfied with a government-designed concept to develop fish
    breeding and regulate this business.

    Particularly, fish breeders oppose the government's decision that
    fish breeding farms must install water meters, which they say would
    have a dire impact on their business.

    The government wants also to raise the fee for use of land by fish
    farms. Thus, according to Arkady Gevorkian, if the proposed changes
    are effected, fish breeders will have to pay 19 million Drams for one
    hectare of fishpond instead of the current 50,000 Drams. He said some
    20% of fish farms had to shut down after the government imposed a 20%
    VAT on import of fish forage.

    "Introduction of new changes, especially now as the economy is
    struggling to get out of the crisis, would kill the sector,' he said
    to a news conference today.

    He said the Association of Fist Breeders has developed an alternative
    package of solutions, which are being discussed by interested parties.

    There are about 290 fish breeding farms in Armenia which produced
    last year 4,500 tons of fish.

    He also spoke about the government's decision to ban fishing in lake
    Sevan for three years saying commercial reserves of white fish in the
    lake have dwindled from 40,000 tons during the Soviet era to 100 tons.

    "For a full recovery of the white fish reserves in Lake Sevan the
    authorities must step up fighting poaching and restore young fish
    breeding farms,' he said.

    Experts from the Armenian Institute of Hydrology and Ichthyology
    estimated last year that the commercial reserves of fish in Lake Sevan
    were critical at 24o-250 tons, including some 17 tons of white fish.

    From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress
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